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Gadgets HP Shifting Focus from PCs to Tablets
Tiffany Kaiser - February 27, 2013 2:09 PM

20 comment(s) - last by Ammohunt.. on Feb 28 at 11:46 AM

HP CEO Meg Whitman said quality and innovation will be the main focus points

Hewlett-Packard (HP) didn’t have the best luck with mobile its last time around, but the company is looking to give it a second shot by paying closer attention to both quality and innovation.

HP CEO Meg Whitman said that the PC maker is now focusing on tablets specifically during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference.

“We’re shifting resources from PCs to tablets,” said Whitman. “The market moved very fast to tablets and smartphones, and we’ve got to now manage that transition. And it’s not that HP didn’t try to manage that transition – they did with the acquisition of Palm. But as you know under the previous [management] that took a little detour to nowhere.”

To make sure the Palm disaster doesn’t happen again, Whitman said HP will focus more closely on quality this time around. She wants to correct warranty and support problems in order to achieve this.

Whitman also mentioned keeping on top of innovation, saying that “innovation is not dead at this company.” She has already upped research and development funding in order to help out in this area.

Earlier this week, HP announced an Android-powered tablet called the Slate 7 for $170. The specs include a dual-core, 1.6GHz Cortex A9 ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage space (expandable via microSD), a 1024x600 display, Bluetooth 2.1, a front-facing VGA camera, and a 3MP shooter on the back.

a dual-core, 1.6GHz Cortex A9 ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage space (expandable via microSD), and a 1024x600 display. Other lackluster specs include Bluetooth 2.1, a front-facing VGA camera, and a 3MP shooter on the back. The device runs a stock version of Android 4.1. - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com/HP+Steps+Back+into+Tablet+Game+With+Androidpowered+170+Slate+7/article29975.htm#sthash.Y6I2pYGx.dpuf

HP acquired Palm for $1.2 billion in 2010, but encountered many issues. Mainly, sales were slow due to sloppy execution, overproduction and slow hardware releases.

HP eventually killed off webOS and its TouchPad tablet in 2011.

Earlier this week, HP sold webOS to LG for SmartTVs.

Source: CNET

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Touchpad failure

By augiem on 2/27/2013 2:39:53 PM , Rating: 5

quote:
Mainly, sales were slow due to sloppy execution, overproduction and slow hardware releases.

You forgot the main reason. An outrageous price for what they offered. It launched at the same price of the iPad with weaker hardware and no software catalog to speak of. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that customers need to have some incentive to switch from what they already know and HP simply didn't provide any.

HP will continue to flounder about. It's a miracle they're even still in business.

RE: Touchpad failure

By chmilz on 2/27/2013 3:52:31 PM , Rating: 2

Even if they produce a compelling product (doubtful), how do you win over users who've invested heavily in ecosystems by way of apps, media, etc. that isn't transferable?

They might have a shot if they go with full Win8 tablets, as I see open platforms like that being the only way to win users over. Closed ecosystems are good at keeping the users they've attracted, the only opportunity for new entrants is to go after the users who've held out or are willing to switch to open systems.

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RE: Touchpad failure

By jimbojimbo on 2/27/2013 5:28:34 PM , Rating: 3

quote:
HP will continue to flounder about. It's a miracle they're even still in business.

You do know they make servers and resell other various corporate level hardware right? Their servers are actually pretty damn good too.

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RE: Touchpad failure

By Manch on 2/28/2013 4:18:54 AM , Rating: 2

True, but there switches are pure garbage.

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RE: Touchpad failure

By Schadenfroh on 2/27/2013 10:08:17 PM , Rating: 2

The best idea that an HP executive ever had was to spin off or sell to some random Chinese company their desktop / laptop business back when it was valuable. But no... ignorant shareholders that failed to see consumer desktops / laptops / printers are a dying breed halted that idea.

The money is in services and intellectual property, IBM knows this.

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RE: Touchpad failure

By Ammohunt on 2/28/2013 11:46:22 AM , Rating: 2

Its a shame really when was the last time HP innovated? with all that IP they acquired from mergers and acquisitions you can't tell me they can't come up with the next great thing.

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The tablet market has sorely missed poor quality control

By tayb on 2/27/2013 4:27:37 PM , Rating: 3

HP is jumping into the tablet foray? Excellent. This market segment has been sorely missing poor quality control, abysmal screen quality, junky plastic enclosures, and uninspired designs!

When I'm shopping for a laptop I don't even bother going to the HP site. I don't even look. It will take a substantial change by HP for me to even consider a device from them.

RE: The tablet market has sorely missed poor quality control

By Milliamp on 2/27/2013 11:40:14 PM , Rating: 2

It depends on what the item is but a pretty significant portion of the population just buys the cheapest available product.

The cheapest 1080p TV's at Walmart sell larger volume than the higher end Samsung TV's for instance.

People buying tablets and smart phones are a little more researched (right now) but this is true for a majority of products.

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Hard to see innovation on poor quality screen…

By nikon133 on 2/27/2013 3:40:29 PM , Rating: 2

... so how about updating their Envy line with, at least, half decent IPS panels? Maybe you guys in US are luckier, but here in NZ, complete Envy line - including 15.6" - is being offered with 720p panels, TN, bad as. No customizations available.

We still do Elitebooks for business, ours and our customers but whenever someone asks me about laptop for home, I will point out at poor screens and rather recommend Lenovo, Sony or Asus... and of course, there will be no HP laptops considered in my family while they keep on with substandard panels.

So... quite a few lost sale opportunities from this one person only. And for something that really is a no-brainer. I really cannot understand them.

RE: Hard to see innovation on poor quality screen…

By Flunk on 2/27/2013 4:33:14 PM , Rating: 2

Actually, they discontinued the Envy Line and have re-labelled their cheaper Pavilion line to Envy. For example the dv6t is now an "Envy". They no longer offer any high-end consumer notebooks.

I was really disappointed when I went looking for a new notebook a few months ago. I very likely would have bought an Envy 15, if they still made that model. It appears HP just doesn't want our money anymore.

The Elitebook line is still ok, for now.

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skeptical

By sguy on 2/27/2013 3:03:01 PM , Rating: 2

It's funny cause without even realizing it I have become skeptical of everything HP does. I am typing this on a seven year old HP tower, I have a five year old HP Laptop. but what made me realize that I'm skeptical is when i saw the headline the first thing I thought was "oh gosh here comes another plastic piece of crap tablet in the market." HP has just severely sucked the past several years.

Dramatic Change....

By Reclaimer77 on 2/27/2013 3:48:07 PM , Rating: 2

So you've shifted your focus from cheap outdated PC's to cheap outdated tablets?

I'm not a 'spec whore' who demands every single statistic be maxed out, but they have to be joking with that Slate 7! Besides having a camera, you would be way better off with the OLD original Kindle Fire! I mean, is this the product that's supposed to signify their bold new strategy? Because I don't see it.

WebOS

By btc909 on 2/27/2013 4:34:14 PM , Rating: 2

Come on HP; WebOS 2.0, it'll work this time!

more firesale tablets?

By RandomUsername3245 on 2/27/2013 4:57:45 PM , Rating: 2

Why HP will fail, again:

1. HP cannot license IOS.

2. HP cannot compete with Google, Amazon, Samsung, and the random Chinese table brands with an Android tablet: they have no features to add, and no manufacturing expertise to beat the no-margin tablets sold by Google and Amazon.

3. The only possibility of success is to build Windows 8+ tablets, and these are already not selling well. If they did start to sell well, HP would have to compete with every other electronics vendor just like in the existing laptop market.

HP Has A Purpose

By hood6558 on 2/28/2013 2:28:04 AM , Rating: 2

If it wasn't for HP, how would they get rid of all the millions of leftover low-end CPUs, failed motherboards, slow RAM sticks, junk power supplies, etc? Someone has to cobble these unwanted parts together into crappy budget systems so idiots can buy them and then post comments like "This new machine feels slower than my old Pentium 4, I just don't understand it!" Look in Wally World, most of their PCs are Celerons and Athlons, single and dual core junk from last decade. HP is king of the out-dated budget clunker.

Quality and innovation? Tablets?

By piroroadkill on 2/28/2013 6:33:42 AM , Rating: 2

Innovation: make a generic 7" Android Tablet.
How about: innovation: make a 9.7" Tablet with a unique OS using your own IP. Oh wait, they already did that.

Quality? HP? They've been downhill in all sector for years now. Their printers used to be tanks, now, not so much, and their consumer gear, especially laptops, are just horrible jokes.

a joke

By Nortel on 2/27/13, Rating: -1

RE: a joke

By kleinma on 2/27/2013 2:28:32 PM , Rating: 2

Don't worry I am sure they will innovate with more proprietary add-on products, like they did when they sold those media drives which were regular hard drives housed in a shell that only fit HP computers. There is some innovation for ya.

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RE: a joke

By DiscoWade on 2/27/2013 6:47:06 PM , Rating: 2

That is almost what generation 8 HP servers do. They use the standard SATA connector but you have to buy the hot-plug hard drives from them. I found that out the hard way. And they are expensive. Almost 3 times as much and it doesn't have a 5 year warranty. And, oh by the way, those mass-produced generation 7 shells you can get cheaply, they don't fit.

A little jury-rigging fixed that problem though.

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RE: a joke

By Argon18 on 2/27/2013 6:04:24 PM , Rating: 1

It's sad but true. Innovation died at HP over a decade ago. They've laid off all their talent through many many rounds of workforce reduction. All that's left is clueless executives, marketeers, and tech support in India. HP is a hollow shell, an emperor with no clothes.

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"Well, we didn't have anyone in line that got shot waiting for our system." -- Nintendo of America Vice President Perrin Kaplan